We're going to create a Vegas Veg* cookbook of vegan recipes.

WE NEED YOUR VEGAN RECIPES!

This is the place to post the vegan recipes you want to share with the group and include in the Vegas Veg* cookbook. People who donate a recipe will receive a cookbook at cost (reduced price).

When you post your recipe, it might be nice to include a little bit about yourself or why you prepare this meal. Do you cook it for yourself because you're vegan or do you make this recipe because vegan cooking is a fun adventure? Do you make this recipe this for family and friends... what do they think of it? Do you have a funny Las Vegas story that ties into the recipe somehow? TELL US THESE THINGS!

So... go ahead! Post your recipes below!

PS ...

HERE IS SOME INSPIRATION:
Instead of just veganizing traditional recipes the way some vegan cookbooks do, we're going to Las Veganize them! Our cookbook will have true southwest feel as well as a cheesy Vegas neon vibe.

HERE ARE SOME RECIPE IDEAS:
Cactus Chili
Mesquite Marinaded Tofu
Poker Chip Cookies
Sin City Seitan

Two Pair Crock Pot Cake

For the Chocolate Layer:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar (Sugar in the Raw is good too)
2 Tbsp. cocoa powder (I use dark cocoa powder)
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup soy milk (Almond milk is good too)
2 Tbsp. melted Earth Balance
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup chocolate chips

• Lightly grease a 3 1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and baking powder. Add the soy/almond milk, Earth Balance, and vanilla. Stir until smooth. Add the chocolate chips and pour into the prepared slow cooker.

For the Peanut Butter Layer:
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup peanut butter **

• In a mixing bowl, combine the sugar and cocoa powder.
• In a separate bowl, combine the boiling water and the peanut butter. Mix into the cocoa mixture.
• Carefully pour evenly over the batter.
• Cover and cook on high for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Cool slightly before serving.

** I would advise against crunchy PB as the peanuts come out with an odd texture

The recipes I've already posted on these boards will go in the cookbook.
For example, the ones here: http://www.meetup.com...
and perhaps new versions of these ones: http://www.meetup.com...

Another recipe...

Quick and Easy Cantaloupe Sorbet
1/2 cantaloupe, cut into cubes and frozen
1/4 - 1/2 cup water
1 - 2 ounces agave nectar

Put everything in a food processor and whip up till smooth. Serve immediately. Yum

This sorbet can be made with virtually any kind of fruit, just freeze the fruit before-hand, add water as necessary to create the right consistency, and sweeten as much or as little as you like. You can use sugar or stevia instead of agave it you like.

Chef Mayra Black Beans and Quinoa

Ingredients IF YOU CAN buy local OR organic

1 teaspoon vegetable oil << light>> OR UNREFINED COCONUT OIL
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup organic quinoa, rinsed & drained
1 1/2 cups organic vegetable broth or your own veg stock
1 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
A little bit a pinch cayenne pepper
sea salt & pepper to taste
1 cup frozen organic corn kernels ( non GMO)
2 (15-oz) cans organic black beans, drained & rinsed OR MAKE YOUR OWN
1/2 cup fresh curly parsley, chopped

The How to: :-)

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, cook for one minute.

Add the quinoa and toss to coat the grains with the oil. Stir in the vegetable broth, cumin, cayenne, salt & pepper and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover and reduce heat; simmer for 20 minutes.

Stir in the frozen corn, cover and continue simmering for 5 minutes. Add the black beans and parsley, stir and heat through. Adjust the salt and pepper.

Serves: enough for seconds

Preparation time: 15 mins. prep plus 35 minutes cooking time


Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) - though not technically a cereal grain like wheat or oats, has been cultivated and eaten as a cereal for thousands of years by South Americans. Quinoa is the tiny seed of the Chenopodium Quinoa, a leafy plant that is a distant relative of spinach and beets.

Quinoa was called the "mother grain" by the Incas (chisiya mama). Now, as people in the rest of the world learn more about Quinoa, they're discovering that its ancient nickname was well deserved - Quinoa is indeed a nutritional powerhouse.

Quinoa's protein content, about 16 percent, is higher than that of any other grain. Wheat also has a high protein content, about 14 percent, but the protein in wheat and most other grains is lacking in the amino acid lysine, which Quinoa has in abundance. In fact, the amino acid composition in Quinoa is almost perfect. The World Health Organization has judged the protein in Quinoa to be as complete as that in milk. In addition, Quinoa contains more iron than most grains, and is a good source of calcium, phosphorus, folate, and many B vitamins.

Eating a serving of whole grains, such as Quinoa, at least 6 times each week is an especially good idea for postmenopausal women with high cholesterol, high blood pressure or other signs of cardiovascular disease.

YEAH for my Quinoa By Chef Mayra
ChefMayra.com

Rat Pack Pea/Basil Crostini

Sweet Peas:

2 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 (16-ounce) bag frozen peas
1/4 cup fresh chopped basil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup plain soy sour cream substitute (i.e. Tofutti Sour Supreme)

Crostini:
1 baguette, whole wheat/or artisan, sliced into 1/2-inch thick slices
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
3 to 4 cloves garlic

Directions
For the Sweet Peas: Warm the vegetable broth and red pepper flakes in a medium
saucepan over medium-high heat until the broth boils. Add the frozen peas and cook until the peas are tender, about 5 minutes. Drain the peas.
Place the peas in a food processor with the basil, salt, and pepper. Puree the pea mixture. Place the pea puree in a medium bowl and refrigerate until cool, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, for the crostini: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the baguette slices on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet in a single layer. Bake in the oven until toasted and golden around the edges, about 10 minutes. While the crostini are still warm, drizzle the tops with extra-virgin olive oil. Using a whole clove of garlic in your fingertips, rub the top of the crostini a few times to give a hint of garlic.

To finish, fold the sour supreme cream into the pea puree. Top each of the crostini with about 1 tablespoon of pea puree. Garnish each with sliced cherry/grape tomatoes.

My daughter made this for part of one of our light dinners last month. It has a nice Spring feel to it. We both love the "old vegas" hence the name.

Rumor has it Ina has given permission for us to use the recipes listed on her website: belsandia.com

Here are the recipes we used for the vegan Chick'n & Waffle party...

Classic American Waffles
Makes four waffles

Ingredients
1 1/4 cup sifted unbleached white flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons vegan sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoons egg replacer powder (not mixed with liquid)
1 1/3 cup soy milk (or powdered soy milk and water)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons safflower oil

Directions
Combine all dry ingredients into a large bowl.
Combine all wet ingredients into a smaller bowl.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry. Stir well.
Heat waffle iron. Mist waffle iron with light coat of vegetable oil.
Spoon batter into center of waffle iron and close waffle iron. Wait a few minutes or until waffle irons stops steaming (follow the directions for your waffle iron).
Remove waffle gently with tongs or a fork.
Enjoy your waffle topped with maple syrup, fresh fruit, soy whipped cream, or any number of other tasty toppings!

* this recipe was modified from The Candle Cafe Cookbook "Diner-Style Pancake" recipe
** you could use another non-dairy milk instead of soy, like rice milk or almond milk
*** you could add almond extract or sub almond for vanilla extract

BBQ Chickpea Chick'n
Makes 6 patties

Ingredients
1 cup cooked chickpeas (soak and cook 'em the night before)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
1/2 cup bread crumbs (from actual bread, not store-bought "breadcrumbs")
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 cloves of garlic, pressed
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon dried sage

Directions
Add chickpeas and oil to large bowl and mash well. Leave just a few whole chickpeas.
Add all other ingredients and knead like bread until gluten strings form.
Form the mixture into round patties the size of your palm about an inch thick.
Place patties on hot BBQ grill for about 10 minutes.
Very gently turn them over with a spatula and grill another 5 minutes on the other side.
Serve with other BBQ food like corn-on-the-cob, chili beans, veggie kabobs, cornbread, and watermelon.

* this recipe was modified from the Veganomicon cookbook "Chickpea Cutlets" recipe
** they can also be baked or fried instead of BBQ'd

"Viva Vegas" vanilla cupcakes....

What You Need:
1-1/4 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup organic cane or maple sugar
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup organic canola oil
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons maple syrup
3/4 cup vanilla soymilk
2 tablespoons vanilla
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

What You Do:

Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners and oil the top of the pan.
Over a medium bowl, place a wire mesh strainer Add flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon to the strainer. Tap strainer against the palm of your hand to sift the ingredients into the bowl. Stir with a wire whisk to distribute the ingredients.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together oil, maple syrup, soymilk, vanilla, and vinegar until well blended. Pour into dry mixture and stir with a whisk until batter is smooth. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cups, filing each about 3/4 full.
Bake for 16 to 20 minutes, or until cupcakes are golden and a cake tester inserted in the centers comes out clean. Cool the tin on a rack for 1 minute. Run a thin knife between the cupcakes and the inside of the cups and lift each onto the rack. Cool completely before frosting with Chocolate Ganache Glaze.

By the way, whatever recipes we include in the cookbook have to be:
a) copyleft (not copyrighted) OR
b) significantly modified AND credited to the original source OR
c) original recipes that we made ourselves.

Even though the proceeds will go to benefit animals and people in need, we still have to follow copyright law.
(if you need to add a cookbook source for your recipe contribution, please do)